OAKWOOD - The Johnson baseball team killed two birds with one stone Monday.<br>
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The Knights beat Flowery Branch 7-3 in a critical Region 7-AAA game that kept the Knights playoff hopes alive while all but eliminating the Falcons' run for a first-ever playoff berth.<br>
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With the win, Johnson (12-13, 9-10) kept pace with White County (12-12, 8-10) and East Hall (8-15, 8-10) for the final spot in the state tournament.<br>
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White County knocked Fannin County out of the race with a 2-0 win Monday while East Hall fell back to the pack after losing to Gainesville 14-4 Monday.<br>
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Chris Bell hit two home runs to lead the Johnson offense while Michael Hansard got the win going the distance.<br>
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D.J. Duden took the loss for Flowery Branch (10-14, 7-11) which is mathmatically still alive.<br>
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The Falcons play East Hall Wednesday and the loser is eliminated. But the Falcons would be eliminated with either a Johnson or White County win.
